Hershey Park!!

Hey guys & girls! I am going to Hershey Park and know nothing at all about how to do the park. Like knowing what rides to go on and what not..and where to start in the park! I'm more of a Dorney person and Knoebels person. So if anyone has any tips, that would really really help! Thanks.

I haven't been this season but your lines your going to be longest on Storm Runner. I would start there.

Usually starting at the entrance to the park is best. That was being sarcastic, of course. I'm not sure what being a "Dorney/Knoebels" person has to do with attacking another park. If you got here, then you can obviously find the map to Hersheypark on their website. The map is very well done, and should give you a great inidication of what type of rides they have. No one can tell another person what rides to go on if they don't specifiy what they like in the first place.

Check out the trip reports (under forums) to read other people's Hershey trip reports.

-- Don't go on a weekend in the summer

-- Start with Storm Runner if it's open; then go to the back of the park and work your way forward.

--Recommended path would be: Storm Runner, Roller Soaker, Lightning Racer, Wild Mouse, Wildcat, Trailblazer, Great Bear, Sooperdooperlooper, Comet.

--I recommend leaving the park for lunch and eat at the Tudor Grill (or whatever it's called now) right outside the entrance gates.

--Water rides at Hershey tend to get decent lines during the afternoon, especially Canyon River Rapids & Roller Soaker.

--Stay until dark. Hersheypark is a GREAT night park.

--Sample Chocolcate World either right before or right after you eat lunch at Tudor Grill. It shouldn't be as crowded then.

^If you want the water rides (Hershey has a great raft ride and Shoot the Chutes) I would modify that order to:

Storm Runner (do it twice)
Roller Soaker
Raft Ride
Tidal Force (Shoot the Chutes)
Mouse
Lightning Racer
Wildcat
Lunch
Comet
Superdooperlooper
Great Bear
Trailblazer
Repeat

Also anytime you go by the Resses's Extreme Cup Challenge (dark interactive ride) hop in the single riders line, it has free chocolate at the end and worth the five minute wait.

I would counter that Storm Runner will be one of your shorter waits. Comet has been the slowest line (not necessarily longest) in the park in my experience. Storm Runner is a people-eater, just like Lightning Racer. Don't be turned away, even by a full queue.

Be careful when you're navigating, it's easy to get turned around at Hershey, there are a lot of dead ends and paths that appear to go one place, but dump you in another.

And, if you get a chance, or are looking for a break from rides, ZooAmerica is a neat little place out behind the park and is included with your admission (I think).

Pretty much everyone is right about the order to hit the coasters in the park. If you can go on a wednesday or Thursday that would be best. I have been either day all Summer, and only a few times had to wait more then 10 minutes for most coasters.

The only exception is that they have a habit of only running one train on Storm Runner when the crowds are light. Even then last night it was only a 20 minute wait for the back, and about 35 for the front with one train op.

I get to the park about 6 - 7 pm, and ride all the coasters except rollersoaker, get a few flats in, and some rerides in that time. Its only $22.50 after 5 for admission.

Wow...thanks everyone for the perfect advice...I hope i will remember all of this lol. I will most likely use that advice! THx again!

About the dorney/hershey thing....Im just more into going there and have yet to be at Hersheypark and i go to my doctor for my diabetes in Hershey!

Codis, when are you going? If you're going before Monday, you can get tickets online from Hershey's website for $29.95, but they're only good for the month of July. I think you have to use the tickets this month, not just buy them.

If you're not going until August, stop at the Giant in Cressona on your way down. You can get tickets for 32.95 there. Best discount you'll see offered. You get an actual ticket, and not a coupon. Once you get to the park, you can just get into the pre-purchased ticket line, which is usually much shorter.

I'd also recommend riding the Ferris Wheel, since you can check out the construction of the new water attractions for next year.

If you're brave, you can also try Sidewinder, which is a Boomerang coaster I see nobody else mentioned. (Hey it's a credit) :) It's right across from the entrance to Storm Runner. And you have to ride both sides of Lightning Racer-- the wait won't be long at all. If you get the chance, ride Great Bear and Storm Runner at night too. It's a totally different experience with the lights on.

If you like flats, Hershey has a great selection-- the Claw, I like their Wave Swinger, even tame rides like the Monorail, Dry Gulch RR, the Skyview and the Kissing Tower are fun because you get great views of the park and they intertwine with the coasters too. The monorail runs right through the top hat of Storm Runner. If the timing is right, on the Skyview a train from Great Bear might pass right in front of you.

Another great ride not mentioned yet is the Coalcracker flume. As a Pottsvillian, it's required riding for you. :) Enjoy your trip, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Pottsville huh? I am a season pass holder from pottsville

I'm from the "burbs" myself. :)

I need to remember this. I haven't been to Hersheypark in YEARS, but plan to go next summer. Is it better to go early in the summer, or wait until near the end?

I've gone to HP on both of the "extreme" vacation weekends of the season (Memorial Day and Labor Day). To be honest, there wasnt much difference. In fact, every time I've visited, the crowd has been about the same. It always seems like there are a lot of people in the park, but yet, the lines are never really that long (save Storm Runner opening year).

*Right now*, the best plan of attack seems to be to head to Storm Runner and then hit up the midway America area, saving Comet/Great Bear for later in the day. Next years impending waterpark is going to through things off a bit. I anticipate that during the hottest portion of the day (noon-3,4) Midway America is going to be the *real* ZOOAmerica of the park so this would be a good time to be in the other half of the park. Of course, that's just a W.A.G..
lata, jeremy
--who, with his recent discovery of waterparks, is extra excited about one coming to "The Sweetest Place on Earth" (TM)

I haven't been back since SR...

But, if they'd "Let the Comet FLY", then I can honestly say it'd be in my top-5 parks....made my top-10 (well, top-14) anyway, LOL...

The place is freakin' SWEET! :)

wildone, with next year being HP's 100th anniversary, there's going to be stuff going on all season long.

If you hit the parks with family or friends, one thing I can tell you is that Hershey is offering a "family four pack"-- 4 regular admissions for $100, which will can be used during May and June of next year. The deadline for ordering is early August though, so check out their website for that info.

Nice that HP offers a reduced after-5 admission. This can be useful if you don't have a lot of time and want to hit both Hershey and Knoebels on the same day. Knoebels, of course has the free admission and affordable pay-per-ride which certainly helps with this.

Naturally the best thing to do if you have the time is to spend a full day at each of these parks. It's interesting that PA offers several opportunities to hit 2 parks in one day. Other such possibilities are:

Waldameer and Conneaut Lake

Lakemont and DelGrosso's

Idlewild and Kennywood (Idlewild is primarily a daytime park and KW has a reduced after-5 rate)

They also offer the free preview if you buy a ticket for the next day after a certain hour. It's something like after 7:30 for a park closing of 10.

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Gary B said:
Pottsville huh? I am a season pass holder from pottsville

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Ahh, the home of Yuengling. I miss it! :(

I would also recommend Storm Runner first. The last time I was there in 2004 the lines were full and it *seemed* like it would be at least 2 hours. I think it was about 45 minutes while they had both sides running.

Actually from what I remember Comet has a slower line.

Great Bear is the bomb, and near the Comet. I love that "twist and dive towards the lake" element.

The Sooper is close to the Bear and Comet as well. It STILL has lapbars, right? Schwarzkopf and OTSR's are a BAD combination, which explains why I didn't bother with the Revolution during my last trip to SFMM.

Hersheypark is one of the best! Mmmm.....Lightning Racer. ;)

Most of the rest are awesome, especially that mouse. I can do without the Sidewinder again, though. It's a typical head bangin' boomerang. :(

-Tina

*** Edited 7/31/2006 2:44:20 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***